M.’s review of Jackie Robinson: A Biography > Likes and Comments

s a child or a young teenager I read and enjoyed a couple of biographies about Jackie Robinson. They certainly didn’t compare to this one which was a much more mature book. Not only did I think this book was great but it was without a doubt by far the best sports book I have ever read. To begin with, the book was not only about Robinson’s athletic accomplishments as a youth, a Junior College athlete, a Division I College athlete, a Negro League baseball player or a great Major League Baseball player who broke the color line. This book is chock full of history, particularly Jim Crow and and the fight for Civil Rights, of which Jackie became a major part. He became part of politics becoming involved with such major politicians as Eisenhower, briefly, Nixon, JFK, RFK, LBJ and others. He was very close with NY Governor, Nelson Rockefeller. He was involved with such organizations as the NAACP,CORE and other major Civil Rights groups and such activists as Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers and others. Jackie was also heavily involved with a number of Catholic groups and Jewish groups such as the ADL. He also did a lot of work with kids and various charities. In all, despite a few flaws, he was a wonderful man and was married to a wonderful and brilliant woman. This is, without a doubt, a must read book even if you are not a baseball fan.